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Sprayer tips for improving spider mite control
Spider mites are difficult to control with crop protection chemicals, so proper timing, product selection and sprayer setup and operation are critical. Soybean producers should scout their fields and use the information contained in this article and a …Read more on agprofessional.com

Pollen supplement helps tide glasshouse mites over
Nutrimite is a pollen-based food supplement that ensures mite populations continue to thrive even when prey numbers are low. This mimics that natural process in which flowering crops such as pepper, pollen and nectar provide predatory mites with an …Read more on Horticulture Week

BECRD 2013 Mite Boys Live Pitch State Tournament Underway
A viewer shared with us a picture from the Blakely Early County Recreation Department (BECRD) 2013 Mite Boys Live Pitch State Tournament. The Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) is hosting the tournament, which started today and will …Read more on WTVY, Dothan

Game #84: It's D-No-Mite — A's Beat Cubs 8-7 on Norris HR
This team gets more and more fun to watch every single day. Derek Norris won the game with a three-run homer and the A's had an all-around great night from the batter's box to compensate for one of A.J. Griffin's worst starts of the season. Oakland is …Read more on Athletics Nation

A couple of days ago, the wonderful Dr. Nancy Kay posted a story I hope all parents (human and pet) read about the trend of kids and dogs in pictures getting into potentially scary situations.

If you haven’t read it yet, she punctuated the apprehension she feels seeing pictures like this:

And this:

with a story from her own practice, where a parent disregards her attempts to help her children interact with their dog more safely. And the story ends, after the dog bites one of the children in the face, with Dr. Kay tearfully euthanizing the dog after another home could not be found.

While most of the respondents reacted with sadness about the situation, a good-sized number of commenters took Dr. Kay to task for euthanizing the dog. While she is too gracious (or smart, but I’ve never pretended to be that) to respond to the people who think they know what goes through the mind of a veterinarian in these situations, I feel somewhat compelled- OK, really compelled- to say this:

You have no idea how hard, how awful, how utterly agonizing these situations are, because if you did you would never call her a murderer. And until you’re the one holding the syringe in your hand, I implore you to take a step back and return the discussion to its original context, how we all need to do a better job by working together to prevent these situations in the first place. Because here’s the truth:

That is an utterly impossible situation to be in. Yes, vets have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to “my cat is peeing on the rug” or “my dog has flea allergies” or even “my dog growled at a kid” to say, “I am not comfortable with euthanizing this pet.” But once a pet bites a person, a line has been crossed and everything changes.

The law is stacked against any dog who bites

Once upon a time, a person went to their veterinarian and said, my pet snapped at my neighbor and I don’t know what to do. The veterinarian said, let’s try to work through this with a good behaviorist, or find a rescue who can take this on.

Later on, the dog bit someone. The person who was bitten sued not only the owner but the veterinarian for not suggesting the aggressive dog be put to sleep. And they won. That is the legal precedent we function under, the standard of care to which we are held.

So let me reiterate: if a dog comes to us after biting a person and we do not counsel the owner the dog should be put to sleep (even if the owner never brought it up), we are liable if that dog bites anyone in the future. If a dog with a history of biting a child comes in, the owner requests euthanasia, and you refuse? You are basically agreeing to hand over your license, your livelihood, and your ability to be an effective advocate for anyone should another bite happen. Even if a rescue agrees to take the dog, which despite protests to the contrary is pretty rare. That is not to say I have euthanized every dog who’s ever nipped- far from it- but yes, every time I send them away for behavior work I’m taking a risk that only I can truly assess.

And when you have an extreme case in front of you like Ben? That is a horrible, awful corner to be backed into as a veterinarian. There is no happy solution. You’re either a murderer or someone willing to gamble away their entire career on a really bad bet or someone passing the buck to a shelter employee. It is awful and nausea inducing and likely to cause migraines and the sort of thing we all struggle with and few are brave enough to mention out loud for fear of judgmental types who think they know better questioning our dedication to animals. So you take that weight on yourself, mentally apologize to the dog for the crap hand he has been dealt, and cry. At least that is what I did the one time I was put in the same position.

Solving the problem we all helped create

I don’t want to play advocate Olympics here and saber rattle over who has done the most good for dogs, but if that’s your thing- Dr. Kay, for example, quite literally wrote the book on animal advocacy. And it makes me sick to my core to have people react to her with nastiness because of that unwinnable situation that we have all contributed to.

We contribute when we suggest any situation be handled through specious lawsuits.

We contribute when we throw shade at each other and erode the trust between the public and veterinarians.

We contribute when we roll our eyes at well meaning but ultimately uninformed parents instead of trying, with kindness and care, to change the way we educate new parents about pet safety. With compassion, and consistency. I am sure the people who took the above pictures love their kids and their dogs, as do I: only difference being I have no pictures like this because I understand the risk more than they do and don’t allow that situation to happen in my house.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go continue the conversations I’ve begun about ways to make life easier and safer for parents then get on a plane to South America for a volunteer spay/neuter initiative . Signed, your local animal murderer/advocate (you decide).

Yesterday, when we got an email from Pillsbury announcing that the company had made some dogs out of Pillsbury crescent dough, we thought, “Whatever. You’re a dough company. That’s what you do.” [Editor's Note: And NO, this is not a sponsored post.]

Then we got a look at those dogs. And fell in love with those dogs. And wanted to eat those dogs. And were on the verge of going home to make those dogs, starting with the Basset Hound — or maybe the Shar-Pei (or the Poodle!) — before we realized going home to make dogs out of Pillsbury dough is not something people who have jobs should do at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

And then we saw something amazing, there in the dogs.

There were hotdogs inside those dogs.

HEADING HOME, BOSS!

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Truly, these are works of art. The company might as well close, because what better way to cap a 140-year run than with a crescent dog shaped like a Dachshund? I want to eat the head off that Poodle right now. Imagine squirting a line of mustard down that Basset Hound's back and sitting down to an episode of Wipeout. That's a staycation right there.

Pillsbury, it seems, knows it has a good thing, and it has wrapped a contest around these creations. You, dog owner and lifelong crescent hotdog lover, will get to choose the next breed Pillsbury will make.

Crazy, right? Well, you take what you can get.

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According to the company, just upload a picture of your dog to Instagram, Twitter, or Pillsbury's Facebook page, with the hashtag #pbdogdays, by July 29 for a chance to have the Pillsbury Kitchens create a crescent-and-hotdog version of your dog’s breed.

Once you have helped your Golden Retriever build up his immune system, he will be healthy and strong enough to fend off any type of illness. There are ways that you can help your Golden with his immune system, which is more or less what you feed him. If you care about your Golden Retriever and want to help him develop a strong immune system – you’ll find this information very helpful.

When you feed your Golden, give him some homemade food. You can substitute this for canned food, or mix it in together. Homemade food tastes a lot better to your dog, and it contains a lot of the nutrients and vitamins he needs. When you give him water, give him spring water. Although many prefer to give their Golden water from the faucet, spring water is actually a lot better for him than any other type of water.

When you give him a treat or a bone, you should always give him raw bones with plenty of meat on the bone, as they will help him to develop a strong set of white teeth. Teeth are very important with Golden Retrievers, which is why you want to make sure that his teeth stay strong and healthy. If you give him a bone a day, he will have plenty to chew on to keep his teeth healthy. You can also use chew toys as well, especially when you are playing with him, as they will help him to develop strength in his jaws.

You can also help to keep your Golden Retriever healthy by knowing a bit about health problems that he could have. This way, you’ll able to keep track of what your vet diagnoses. If your vet tells you something that is wrong with your Golden, you should know a little bit about what he tells you, and how you can help to take care of the problem.

To help your Golden Retriever avoid any type of reproductive problems, you should look into having a male neutered. Reproductive problems are common with Golden’s, and can lead to more serious problems if you don’t do something about it. If you aren’t planning to breed your Golden Retriever, you should have him neutered as soon as you can, to help prevent any type of reproductive problems.

If you take care of your dog and keep him healthy, he will live a lot longer. You should always strive to keep your dog healthy, so he can live a pain free life. As long as you feed him a proper diet and let him get plenty of exercise, he will stay strong and healthy. Golden Retrievers that grow to be strong and healthy make great pets, as they can join you in exercise and provide plenty of fun for your entire family.Welcome to The Top Dog Blog!

Mite boys all-stars claim District 2 title
In the championship game, the mites broke it open to start the game. Of the 10 hits in the first inning Blake Wood hit two doubles and Jasper Stanfield and Luke Boykin each added doubles. The Gators also contributed with six errors in the 13-run inning.Read more on Jesup Press Sentinel

Mite Gold all-stars win state tournament opener
MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County 10-and-under Gold all-stars made quick work of Washington County on Thursday in the first day of the GRPA state Mite tournament at the Magnolia Sports Complex, winning 15-0 in just 33 minutes. Colquitt County Garnet …Read more on Moultrie Observer

ALK's dust mite pill hits Ph III targets
ALK-Abello's experimental house dust mite allergy pill remains on track for a 2014 filing, after a second Phase III trial assessing its safety and efficacy achieved its targets. The Danish drugmaker said top-line results of the Phase III MITRA trial …Read more on PharmaTimes

Sweet dog cuddling with teddy

A sweet photo that I took of my son’s rescue dog Bibi. I came home from work one day and found her up on my bed with this teddy bear. I confess to staging the bear for this photo, but it really got me to wondering . . . what does she do all day when I’m at work.

Image by K Schneider
? American Dog Tick (Dermacentor sp. – cf. variabilis), Skylawn Memorial Park, San Mateo Co., CA – April 2010. Thanks to P. Jennings, B. Mathison and Bug Guide for comments on ID. Collection of the tick and examination under a microscope would be recommended for a definitive identification to species.

Baby Ticks (Cropped)

Image by Vicky TGAW
Some time ago, Ryan put a tick he removed from the dogs in a specimen jar. The momma tick laid numerous eggs. Today, I noticed the eggs had hatched. Here is the first released shots of our newest arrivals.

EpilepsyAlso known as seizures, epilepsy disorders normally occur from viral infections, and environmental factors as well. Even though an inaccessible seizure isn’t always a problem, dogs that have recurring seizures should never be bred. Vets can recommend medicines that control recurring seizures, although medicine isn’t always effective. Although epilepsy doesn’t affect the health of a Golden Retriever, it does have an effect on breeding. You can never tell if it is indeed heredity, therefore breeding is pretty much out of the question – to avoid passing it on to the litter.

Skin allergiesSkin allergy is the most common medical issue with Golden Retrievers. Skin allergy is normally the result of allergens such as flea bites, dust, airborne pollen, food, and even mold. Symptoms will vary, although they can include bits, scratching, licking, and even ear infections. Diet is extremely important here, as it can help to prevent a lot of these problems. If you consult with your vet, you can more than likely eliminate the risks your pet has of getting a skin allergy.

HypothyroidismHypothyroidism is a condition that causes the thyroid gland to malfunction. Golden Retrievers that are affected by this disease will normally show such symptoms as coat problems or obesity. This medical problem can also result in a lack of fertility as well. A lack of fertility can be a big problem for breeders, as it makes it very hard for the affected Golden Retriever to breed.

The treatment of hypothyroidism involves taking the oral supplement for hypothyroidism on a daily basis. Once it has been treated successfully, the prognosis will appear to be normal and dog will have a normal, healthy life span, providing there are no other medical problems. This condition is somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, and can be diagnosed by your vet.

Some Golden’s who suffer from hypothyroid problems will have seizures, although this will stop once they go on the oral treatment medicine. Even though the hypothyroid condition isn’t associated with epilepsy, you should monitor your dog to be on the safe side. You don’t want to take any chances with your dog coming down with epilepsy, which is why you should always have your vet do routine checks.

Even though medical problems are somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, you can help to prevent them by making sure your dog is healthy. If you do your part and make sure that you treat your Golden well, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Golden Retrievers are generally healthy dogs, although they can get ill from time to time. If you take your dog to the vet and get him treated as soon as he gets sick – he’ll be better and back to his normal self in no time at all.Welcome to The Top Dog Blog!